Electric motor control system



'Jil-y 1946. c. J. CALD BECK r 0 ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTRQL SYSTEM- Filed Dec. 11, 1945 Patented July 2, 1946 2,403,048 ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM Charles James Caldbeck, Bradford, En land, as-

signor to The English Electric Company Limited, London, England, a British company Application December 11,

In Great Britain November 27,

6 Claims.

Shunt or compound wound electric motors can afford a high starting torque with a considerable speed range by being started with the shunt field winding acting at full strength, this windin being subsequently weakened to afford higher speeds and, in the case of a compound wound motor, the shunt field may eventually be disconnected. By progressively increasing the strength of the shunt field moreover, such a motor can be regeneratively braked, returning power to the supply system. An ordinary eries wound motor on the other hand cannot readily be regeneratively braked without some special provision and the more usual method of braking such a motor is .to connect a braking rheostat in parallel with its armature, but in any case a purely series wound motor cannot be braked while excited by its series field winding unless the relative connections of the armature and field winding be first reversed. For such reasons and because the advantages for traction purposes of the characteristic of a series motor can to a large extent be retained, compound motors nowadays are much in favour for electric traction.

Where electric traction or other shunt or compound wound motors are supplied from a supply system of comparatively small load capacity and on which the load of these motors forms a substantial proportion of the total load, regeneration may be highly disadvantageous or even inadmissible.

For the purpose of retaining some of the advantages of a compound wound motor the present invention consists broadly in the combination therewith of control means for accelerating the motor and including weakening or possible ultimate disconnection of the shunt field and means for preventing, on return movement of the controller, any strengthening of the shunt field or at least any strengthening sufficient to bring about appreciable regeneration. A further feature of the invention consists in provision for rheostatically braking the motor and furthermore also for progressively increasing the strength of the shunt field during such braking.

One particular form of electric traction equipment according to the invention is shown in diagrammatic form in the single figure of the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the traction motor circuits extend from the positive trolley I to the negative trolley 2 through the main circuit breakers 3 and 4. The traction motor consists of the armature 5, the series field 5a and the shunt-field 5b. The armature connections can 1943, Serial No. 5l3,877

be reversed by the conventional form of reversing switch 6 having a pair of contacts Ba connected to the rest of the circuit, a pair of contacts 61) connected to the armature, bridging contacts which can establish certain connections between contacts 6a and 6b for'one direction of rotation of the motor and bridging contacts 601 which can establish reverse connections for reverse rotation.

The motor armature circuit can be traced from the circuit breaker 3 through the positive main line contactor LP, the starting resistance 1 divided into sections Ia, 'Ib and lo, the series field winding 5a, the reversing switch 5, the armature 5 and the negative main line contactor LN to the circuit breaker 4. Resistance contactors RI, R2 and R3 are provided for progressively shortcircuiting sections Ia, 'Ib and 1c of resistance 1. The shunt field circuit can be traced from the circuit breaker 3 through the shunt field contactor Fl, the shunt field resistance 8 and the shunt field winding 5b to the circuit breaker 4. Further shunt field contactors F2 and F3 are provided'which can open to increase progressively the resistance in the circuit of the shunt field winding 5b. A protective discharge resistance 9 is connected in parallel with the shunt field winding 51). There is also provided a brakin contactor B which, when closed, connects the contactor LN to a point on resistance I, thereby connecting in parallel with the armature 5 some part of the starting resistance to serve as a rheostatic braking resistance.

The control circuits throu h the drivers controller I0 and the contactor coils extend from the trolley I through the fuse I I and the line LI to the 'line L2 and the fuse I2 and thence to the trolley 2.

The drivers controller I0 of the drum type comprises a number of stationary contact fingers IIlal0p and conducting drum segments in two groups *Iliq and I01 which can bridge these fingers. The operating coils for the contactors LN, LP, RI, etc., are indicated by Zn, Zp, Tl, etc. and are connected to the various stationary contacts of the controller I0.

Line LI is connected to contact Hip. Contact Inn is connected through'normally closed auxiliary contact B2 on the rheostatic braking contactor B and through the upper normally closed contacts I3a of the drivers brake switch I3, described later, to the stationary contact Illa, The negative line contactor coil In is connected between contact Illa and the negative line L2. The positive line contactor 0011- Z1!) is connected between lflb and L2. The resistance contactor coils TI, 12 and T3 are connected between contacts lllc, llld and lfle respectively and line L2. The shunt field contactor coil fl is connected between contact l) and line L2. The shunt field contactor 12 is connected between contact lllm and line L2, but a connection can also be made from contact I01 to coil f2 through normally open holding contacts F2l on shunt field contactor F2. Shunt field contactor coil I3 is connected between contact Nile and line L2 but a connection can be made from contact I 07' to coil f3 through normally open holding contact F3l on shunt field contactor F3.

According to the invention there is added auxiliary switching means which prevent operation of certain of the shunt field contactors in response to return movement of the controller ID from its full speed position.

Provision is also made for the establishment of rheostatlc braking by the operation of a multiple brake switch l3 by depression of the drivers brake pedal Id. The line Ll is connected to the normally open switch contacts l3b, l3c and l3d of the brake switch. Closure of contacts l3?) connects line Ll tactor coil f3. Closure of contacts 130 connects line Ll to contact Him and to shunt field contactor coil f2. Closure of contacts l3d connects line Ll through the normally closed contacts LNl on the negative main line contactor LN to the coil b of the braking contactor B which is thereby connected between line Ll and line L2. Normally open holding contacts Bl onthe braking contactor B and closed by the energisation b can connect contact llln to coil 1). The connections through contacts l3a of the drivers brake switch l3 have already been described.

According to a further feature of the invention, the connection from contact lllk to shunt field contactor coil I3 is through the normally closed contacts FBI and the connection from contact Him to shunt field contactor coil f2 through normally closed contacts PR2 of a further relay having its operating coil pr connected in parallel with the traction motor armature and series field winding 5a in series with a comparatively high resistance l5; this resistance is shunted by the normally closed auxiliary contacts LN2 on the negative main line contactor. This second relay is so designed as to open its contacts FBI and PR2 when the P. D. across the motor armature has reached a certain value. When the motor armature 5 is disconnected from the supply, the relay coil pr will keep its contacts open until the motor is almost at rest and the voltage across the armature 5 has fallen to a very low value. To assist this effect, the opening of the negative line contactor LN closes the contacts LN2 to short-circuit the high resistance IE to ensure that the relay will keep its contacts closed with a very low voltage across it, So long as the power supply is connected to the motor armature 5 by closure of main line contactor LN, the resistance l5 will be in series with relay coil pr to protect the latter from the possible application of high voltage.

The operation is as follows:

The initial movement of the controller I!) from its starting position energises the field contactor coils f3 and f2 by establishing circuits from contact lllp by way of drum segment group lllr and contacts lllk and lflm through coil f3 and f2 to line L2. These circuits are interrupted by the disengagement of the drum segments from conto contact lllk and shunt field coni of coil tacts lllk and Him when the controller reaches its position indicated by pl which is the first speed notch. In this first position, however, drum segment group I Dr makes maintaining circuits through the contacts I07 and I01 and the maintaining contacts F3l and FZI of the field contactors which accordingly remain energised. Drum segment group lllr also makes a connection through contact lll'n to contact llla whereby negative line contactor coil In is energised and drum segment group lllq connects together contacts Illa and lllb whereby positive line contactor coil 11) is energised. Thus the circuit through the traction motor armature is completed by contactors LP and LN; since field contactor F3 is closed, the traction motor is started at its full shunt field strength. The drum segment group lUq also connects contact Ilia to contact lll/ whereby contactor coil fl is energised to close shunt field contactor Fl.

On movement of the controller It! to its second position p2, the drum segment group lllq connects contact llla to contact lllc thereby energising contactor coil rl and closing resistance contactor Rl to short-circuit section la of the starting resistance. Movement beyond this position de-energises contactor coil lp which allows contactor LP to open without effect,

On movement of the controller ID to its third position 123, drum segment group lllq engages contact llld to energise contactor coil 12, thereby closing contactor R2 and short-circuiting section I b of the starting resistance.

On movement of the controller to its position 24, drum segment lflq engages contact llle to energise contactor coil r3 whereby contactor R3 closes to short-circuit the whole of the starting resistance 1. In this position, contactor coil rl may be de-energised and contactor RI can open without effect and on movement beyond this position contactor coil r2 may be de-energised and contactor R2 can open without effect. All the starting resistance has now been cut out and the motor is running on full shunt field strength.

By now the relay coil pr will have opened the contacts FBI and PR2 in the circuits-already opened-of contacts Him and Ink.

On movement of the controller to position p5, contactor coil I3 is de-energised whereby shunt field contactor f3 opens to weaken the shunt field 5?). On movement of the controller to position 106, contactor coil I2 i de-energised whereby shunt field contactor F2 opens to insert the whole of resistance 8 in series with the shunt field 5b. On movement of the controller to its last position 171, contactor coil fl is de-energised so that contactor Fl opens to disconnect the shunt field 51).

On return movement of the controller to position 106, the supply is again connected by Way of contact ID) to shunt field contactor coil fl so that contactor Fl closes to re-connect the motor shunt field 5b to the supply, it being assumed that the action of this field is so weak as to produce no appreciable regeneration of the motor, Further return movement of the controller to positions and p4 prepares connections by way of contacts I01 and I07 for the shunt field contactor coils f2 and f3, which connections are however subject to the now open holdingcontacts F3l and F2]. Hence there is no reclosure of these contactors F2 and F3 in the reverse order to that in which they opened and no strengthening of the shunt field to produce regeneration. Further backward movement of the controller, however,

operates the resistance contactors R2 and R! and the positive main line contactor LP in the reverse order to that in which they operated on forward movement. of the controller.

his not until the controller is passing from position pl to the off position (after having de-energized coils lnand in and opened contactors LN and LP to disconnect the motor armature 5 from the supply) thatthe contactor coils f2, and f3 are momentarily energised and then deenergised.

It. is customary for a driver, when. approach-. ing a section break at high speed, to bring his controller I!) to the off position and after passing the break to return the controller quickly to its former position. Any such movement would tend to cause the controller to come back to the off position with the motor shunt field weakened and then with the motor running at substantially full speed, to causcthe motor to be reconnected to the supply with the shunt field at full strength, the field not being weakened until the controller has got back to, or nearly back to, its initial high speed position and this might result in a momentary powerful and perhaps highly ob- J'ectionable regeneration. The parts of contact segment group Iillr which establish the lifting circuits for coils fl and f2 are, however, very short so that it is possible for the driver, by moving his controller rapidly, to ensure that under the said conditions the relay does not have time to lift. Furthermore, the relay pr by its contacts FBI and PR2 prevents the field contactors F2 and F3 from closing should the controller Iii dwell too long in the initial position between the off position and position pl.

Rheostatic braking can be obtained when the controller I is in the off position by movement of the drivers brake pedal i4. On closure of contacts LNI in response t opening of the negative line contactor LN to disconnect the motor armature from the supply, depression of the pedal and closure of the contacts l3d establishes a circuit from line L! through contacts l3d, contacts LNI and contactor coil 1) to line L2 whereby the braking contactor B closes to connect part of the resistance 1 across the motor armature 5. The braking contactor B also closes its contacts Bl to establish a holding circuit for itself from the controller contact um. Contacts I3a opened by movement of the brake switch and contacts B2 opened by the braking contactor both interrupt the circuit of main line contactor coils in and 21). Thus if the braking contactor is energised with both the braking switch I3 and the controller [0 in an on position, a holding circuit is established for coil 1) by way of controller contact llln and accordingly the brake contactor B cannot be ole-energised and a circuit cannot be established for the line contactor coils in and lp until both the braking pedal 14 has been released to bring the braking switch l3 back to its oil position and the controller ID has been brought back to its off position. The progressive depression of peda1 l4 progressively closes contacts I30 and [31) for progressively energising from line Ll the coils f2 and f3 thereby progressively closing the shunt field contactors F2 and F3 so that the shunt field winding 5b is energised and progressively brought up to full strength.

It will be appreciated that an existing equipment according to the invention can be readily modified so that the equipment is made suitable for use Where both regenerative and rheostatic braking are desired.

What I claim as my invention and desire to se-' cure by Letters Patent is:

1. Electric traction equipment comprising an electric traction motor havinga series field winding and a shunt field winding, a starting resistor for the motor, a manually operable multiposition controller, resistor shunting contactors operable in one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of the controller and .in the reverse sequence in response to progressive return movement of the controllerand shunt field weakening contactors operable in one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of the controller but not operable in response to the return movement of the controller until it is being moved into its off position.

2. Electric traction equipment comprising an electric traction motor having a series field winding and a shunt field winding, a starting resistor for the motor, a manually operable multi-position controller, resistor shunting contactors operable in one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of the controller and in the reverse sequence in response to progressive.re-. turn movement of the controller, shunt field weakening contactors operable in one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of. the

controller but not operable in response to the return movement of the controller until it is being moved into its off position, energizing connections for operating said field contactors to strengthen the motor shunt field, contact members on said controller ,for momentarily establishing said connections on initial movement of the controller, holding circuits for said contactors, holding contacts in said holding circuits, and contact members on said controller for progressively opening said holding circuits to Weaken the motor shunt field.

3. Electric traction equipment comprising an electric traction motor having a series field winding and a shunt field winding, a starting resistor for the motor, a manually operable multi-position controller, resistor shunting contactors operable in one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of the controller and in the reverse sequence in response to progressive return movement of the controller, shunt field weakening contactors operable in one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of the controller but not operable in response to the return movement of the controller until it is being moved into its oif position, energizing connections for operating said field contactors to strengthen the motor shunt field, contact members on said controller for momentarily establishing said connections on initial movement of the controller, holding circuits for said contactors, holding contacts in said holding circuits, contact members on said controller for progressively opening said holding circuit to weaken the motor shunt field, a relay responsive to the tram-- tion motor armature voltage, said relay having a low drop-out voltage, and contact members on said relay disposed in said energizing connections, said relay contacts being opened when the motor armature voltage is above said drop-out voltage.

4. Electric traction equipment comprising an electric traction motor having a series field winding and a shunt field winding, a starting resistor for the motor, a manually operable multi-position controller, resistor shunting contactors operable in, one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of the controller and in the reverse sequence in response to progressive return movement of the controller, shunt field weakening contactors operable in one sequence in re sponse to progressive forward movement of the controller but not operable in response to the return movement of the controller until it is being moved into its oil position, a rheostatic braking contactor having an operating coil, and a manually operable brake switch for controlling the energization of said coil, said brake switch being electrically interlocked with said controller.

5. Electric traction equipment comprising an electric traction motor having a series field winding and a shunt field winding, a startin resistor for the motor, a manually operable multi-position controller, resistor shunting contactors operable in one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of the controller and in the reverse sequence in response to progressive return movement of the controller, shunt field weakening oontactors operable in one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of the controller but not operable in response to the return movement of the controller until it is being moved into its off position, a rheostatic braking contactor having an operating coil, a manually operable brake switch for controlling the energization of said coil, said brake switch being electrically interlocked with said controller, and contact members on said controller for maintaining a holding circuit for said coil.

6. Electric traction equipment comprising an electric traction motor having a series field winding and a shunt field winding, a starting resistor for the motor, a manually operable multi-position controller, resistor shunting contactors operable in one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of the controller and in the reverse equence in response to progressive return movement of the controller shunt field weakening contactors operable in one sequence in response to progressive forward movement of the controller but not operable in response to the return movement of the controller until it is being moved into its off position, a rheostatic braking contactor having an operating coil, a manually operable brake switch for controlling the energization of said coil, said brake switch being electrically interlocked with said controller, and sequentially operable contact members on said brake switch for progressively closing said shunt field contactors to strengthen the motor shunt field during rheostatic braking.

CHARLES JAMES CALDBECK. 

